大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Joanne Burgess on behalf of Rabbi Dr Solomon Brown OBE and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Fire watching in London:

From 1942 I was a firewatcher at the London Jewish hospital. I lived through the blitz, buzz bombs and landmines. I saw six or seven houses destroyed at a time.

Been a fire watcher involved watching for fires that normally started when phosphorous bombs hit, they had to be put out quickly. I remember the sheer chaos of the bombing and falling flat on my face to avoid the buzz bombs.

Religious duties:

Later I volunteered for the services and was sent to Germany for three years, this was as the war was drawing to an end. During this time I travelled around Europe finding Jewish boys and officiating at weddings, funerals and other personal services. I organised religious services and also part moral leadership courses. I was regarded with suspicion because I wore an Englishmans uniform. I also went to Belsen and Bergen and was involved in the clean up operations. My duties were routine and I did whatever a chaplain did whether Christian or Jewish

The German Refugee:

There are two events that I remember during this time. One involved a German Jewish refugee who worked for the Americans. This refugee had gone back to the city of his birth, Wolfenbuddel and whilst there he came across the man who in 1939 had dragged his parents from their home and assaulted them. By pure coincidence he saw this person on the street and recognised him and gave him a beating. He was arrested by the German police and imprisoned. I informed the Americans and they turned up in a jeep and two military policemen went to the prison with me. I obtained an entrance and we managed to get the man out.

The Russian Soldier:

The other event is that one Friday evening a Russian soldier named Abramovitch appeared and wanted to speak to me at the door of our hotel. He was afraid to come in, he was Jewish. I invited him in for a meal with us and tremblingly he refused he was afraid of being punished for fraternising with the British, I never saw him again and do not know what happened to him.

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